The qualities we love in our respective breeds are often the result of a dedicated belief (some might say “ruthless”) that the dog earn its keep, do its job, or be bullet proof – sometimes all of the above.  Ancestors of our own breed, the Puli, were often culled for failing to adequately move sheep. The ancestors of another breed, the Boerboel, were shot if they bared as much as one tooth to a family member.

By way of explanation to horrified readers, it should be remembered that in the early days of South Africa, pioneers ranched cattle, and it was their children who herded these cattle from pen to pastures and back. This was wild country, and the only protection these children often had from predators was the massive and powerful Boerboel who accompanied them. A Boerboel who growled at a child was shot. A Boerboel that strayed from its young charges was shot. A Boerboel that ran from danger was shot.  These South African pioneers, the Boere, held as gospel truth that the only cure for a bad dog was to kill it.  As harsh as this seems, the fact is that many of the breeds we admire today are the offspring of dogs that survived rigorous, practical, and life-and-death situations.